netSpend: The Story of the Visa Debit Card We Did Not Apply For

This week my husband received an unsolicited Visa debit card from a firm called netSpend. It was certainly an odd experience to receive a card that looked official instead of a pre-approved application packet. This is my story of shock, anger, and finally disgust at the practices of this financial firm. (See also: Credit Cards vs. Debit Cards: A Comprehensive Comparison)

At first, I was confused as to why my husband would open an Visa debit account without telling me. So I asked him if he applied for this card. He was bewildered and said, "No! Did my identity get stolen?" I was equally confused because the card has to have money loaded onto it to be worth anything so it would be worth nothing to identity thieves unless they managed to steal the card after we load money. Additionally, this card came to our address, and it does not make sense that an identity thief would send what they want to steal to us.

So I read the enclosed letter, and it says that some partners of netSpend recommended my husband for the Visa debit card service. The problem is that my husband did not apply for this card, so it does not make sense that a new card is now here waiting for his activation. Even if other financial firms sold his name and address to partners the most they should do would be to send a fake credit card along with an application. So I researched this company a little bit online and it seems that it has sent out cards to other people who did not apply for the card. There is also a slew of other complaints against this company regarding how it handles customers' money.

The next day I promptly called netSpend and asked them to close down this account. According to the representative, someone at netSpend thought that our household needed a Visa debit card, so they sent us one. As long as we do not activate it the account does not exist in their system. Basically, the representative was admitting that we did not apply for the card. By shoving an unwanted card onto us, netSpend pretty much lost any chance of having us a customer in the future.

In conclusion, this is probably the most distasteful customer acquisition tactic I have ever seen because it really made us feel a bit violated. Credit and debit cards are not supposed to be given out like candy and I hope netSpend realizes that. It seems that netSpend's business is basically to get people to deposit money onto its cards and then slowly wittle away peoples' money with fees. When I called their toll-free number it says that it costs 50 cents just to check your balance! So it does make sense that they want as many people to deposit cash onto their pieces of plastic as possible. However, telling people to activate cards they did not apply for is definitely not the way to go.

If you're actually looking for a good prepaid card, we have a list of the best prepaid cards.

Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.

Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Guest #1

I have been useing net spend for a few years and i think its the best pre-paid card out there.

I got the card today with the name of someone who has never lived at this address- this home has been owned by only one family- mine-since it was built! So I will cut it up and do nothing more -unless another one comes.

While it is a debit card, they have your SSN and other private information. Once you put money in it, everything has a fee so if you donothing with the card, they empty your account slowly. Great option for old people. Even better option for my 16 year old who got a card today. Come on people this should be outlawed.

I just got this card in the mail today. At the same time I got a notice saying my ex finally paid his first child support payment. I had signed up to be sent a Prepaid debit card with the payment on it whenever he decided to pay, so I assumed that this was what came at the same time! I was just extremely happy to finally have his first payment in 2 years and was then extremely disappointed when I activated it and there was no money on it. I tried to call the customer service line to find out if this was the correct card or if I needed to just cancel it but spent 10 minutes trying to get through the menu to talk to an actual person and just could not find an option to talk to somebody! Will try again tomorrow now that I know it's not the right card. (Then I will have to call the child support office too to find out WHERE the right card is..... But that will be fine once I get it!)
Looks like a day filled with phone calls!!! THANKS NETSPEND!!! But really I cant really get upset with netspend over this they didn't know I was actually expecting a card on that same day.

After reading numerous postings here, I don't see where Netspend is printing anything more on those cards than is on every other piece of junk mail in your mailbox, or any reason to see them as fradulent and worthy of legal complaints!They're doing nothing more than sending you an offer you can use or not use. Of COURSE they are going to have charges! DUH! That's how they stay in business! Who doesn't have them??? I'd like to thank you all for your postings and this article. After reading it, I've finally figured out a simple way to order things online without giving anyone numbers to accounts that make it difficult or impossible for ME to limit the damage that can be done in the wrong hands to an amount I decide I can deal with, and which keeps me from spending more than I have.
And by the way...I can't help but wonder how many of you went ahead and gave strangers your name and email address, and maybe home page address too, just to post your emotions publicly, right here at this site, without stopping to read and notice that they ask for it...but it isn't required.
Morons. They're everywhere. But the ones who file legal complains are as scary as anyone else out there.

oh god,, thank you so much for ur Big information.. i just got it today.. and i check on the internet if there is anyone who have been trapped with this plastic fraud..n i saw ur article. so what should we do just to not activate the account right??
do u know where r they getting our information? if we do not activate the account we wont have pay anything in the end of the month , arent we? im afraid the company still ask from the fee or smtg..
thank you so much, i appreciate it.

hey everyone!!..dont over react about something thats worthless...besides there a thousands of uncle sam in the US..the wont be able to steal ur identity if they dont ur social and dob..they're just kind...a card could cost $10, so are u gonna shred ur $10???..duh

My daughter recieved a visa card from netspend in the mail. I was shocked to see this card, because my daughter is in the military. When I spoke to her about the card, she said she didn't apply for a card. I am reporting the company to the Better Business Bureau.

Hi there - I just read your post about Netspend. I have to say - I've been dealing with Netspend for over 3 years - and other than the fact that they do charge fees - and they are a PREPAID Card, they have been WONDERFUL!

I asked for them - so it was NOT a card that was sent to me out of the blue.

They have been monumental in the fight for freedom against Congress telling people how to spend their own money - if you would like more info - please contact me on that.

I'm sorry if you felt your experience with them was negative - however, I have only had positive experiences with Netspend.

people it is a real perm card that they send you yes but look at it this way even if i have your card i cant activated it i would have to know you dob and ssn with out that i would have to fax in proof that i am you to there company and the info that i would send to them is social, drivers license or state issued ID, and a utility bill with name and address. i know this because i work there and take these kinds of calls all the time it happens yes you might get a card with someone elses name or they might get yours but nothing that you can do because they run id checks on you no credit checks on id checks. ALL OF YOU PARENTS WITH YOUR KIDS UNDER 18 GETTING A CARD THEY WENT ONLINE FILLED OUT A SURVEY OR WENT TO THE SITE AND ORDERED ONE SO DONT BLAME US THAT OUR DAMN LITTLE ANGELS GOT A CARD THEY DID SOMETHING TO GET IT AND YOU NEED TO WATCH WHAT THEY HELL THEY ARE DOING ON THE DAMN INTERNET AND IF YOU CALL IN AND GET ME I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING IM TIRED OF HEARING IT THEY DONT DO THAT THEY ARE GOOD BULL THEY SCREW AROUND ON THE NET AND GET INTO TROUBLE SO GET OVER THE CARD DONT WANT IT SHRED IT CALL US AND WE WILL TAKE YOU OFF THE MARKETING LIST. I WORK THERE AND DAMN PROUD ABOUT IT.

I just received one of these stupid cards on Friday. I was at first confused because I happen to have a VISA debit card connected to my credit union checking account. But I now know that this is some sort of scam. I don't care how much you people who use this thing like it. I have a perfectly good checking account with a debit card I can use, and I get NO fees or charges unless I have a real problem which I make sure doesn't happen.

I can't help but wonder whether you folks who rave about this company are employees or paid shills.

Xin Lu firstly I am a fan of your frugal approaches and as one of your guy readers it seems you got another winning post!

But, forgive this, its overkill. Shred the damned thing and throw it away.

I have used NetSpend to get in on some "trading action" with the Obama/McCain runoff (I know it's against all that Wise Bread stands for but...) on a prediction network I wont name and have had no issues. Far from a fanboy I also have active banking accounts with two banks one for tax purposes and another for private reasons.

Mark Root makes a very valid albeit aggressive point, however. If you're browsing the web for "Deals and Coupons" via surveys and such be careful what you're signing for. Once you receive the unwanted crap throw em away as you would any other trash mail. Just wish it was as easy as deleting spam though...

I'm very angry with this company. They definitely do not check information before sending out their cards. While going through our mail yesterday, I noticed a letter for my son. I asked if he knew what netspend was and he told me no. He never heard of it. We opened it and it was this prepaid card. This made me beyond angry. This is due to the fact that my son is a minor. He's not even a teenager yet. When I called the 866 number all I could get was an automated system. I will be trying again.
As for the comment about debit cards and fees. I belong to a credit union and don't get charged any fees for using my debit card. Also, if some of the fees are higher than a bank then why would want this card over a bank card.
As for the post "come on" posted by Mark Root. If your company does a check, they should know if the applicant is a minor or not. I am not saying that my child is an angel. No child is. But for you to say that your company does checks is absurd. If your post is any indication on how your company runs, I and my family definitely don't want anything to do with it. Next time before you post you should do a spell and grammar check.

I have been using netspend when I traveled and used it when I decided to cut up my credit cards. I do not use it at an ATM, why should I, I just get cash when I make a debit transaction and incur no fees. And I only pay $10 a month and never have per transaction fees. Also, I have actually been able to save money, using their savings account plan. And all you have to do is have direct deposit and some transaction fees are waived.

Have you seen check cashing fees lately? $8 on $400 at 7/11.

I don't think it is right that they sent it to you unsolicited, but did they? You can get a netspend card if you have certain transactions, over the web, that you do not pay attention to the check boxes, like doing your taxes on TaxAct.

Folks,
I have sat here and read all these ideas from various folks. People calm down!!! This has been blown way out of control!!! I am a Director of Operations for a Finance Company. Speaking from experence, Netspend is a prepaid card and doesnt report to Equifax Good or Bad... I have Great Credit, 2 Bank Accounts although I have 4 Netspend Cards. I do alot online and I would much rather use Netspend and only put on the card what I want to spend or feel secure with. The word ONLINE, people dont think about is you cant see or verify who you are chating with. Do you want to give personal information across possiblly the World without ever seeing a live person??? Keep your Big Money on a Creatable Bank Card and use on a day to day when dealing with a live person, use the Netspend card for people or Companies you CANT see. No CBI reporting - No worries!!! Little money on the Netspend Card - When gone No Worries!!! Think about it!!! Simple but soild advise.

First I am rather surprised about the uproar, especially since you sell your information to people any time you provide it or repeat it sooo...that said I began using Netspend as my primary account 5 years ago after being taken by my bank to the toon of several thousand dollars worth of service and overdraft fees. Now I realize that my lack of accounting skills did not help my situation and that much of it I started, but the avalanche that ensued I didn't see coming. Netspend does charge fees for their service, the same way your bank does, only theirs are much lower. You can get a better deal if you pay a year at a time which is about 70.00, and if you are a smart shopper, you can get cash at point of purchase for no fee, and unlimited debit transactions. They are FDIC insured for 100,000 per account. Everytime I spend money from the card I get a balance update to my phone. If I go slightly over my balance, up to 20.00 they'll cover it and don't charge an extra fee. I have a savings account as well with them that pays 5%. I'm sorry you were unhappy about the marketing ploy of the company but I dare say the freakout is silly, lots of free things are sent thru the mail(deodarant, pampers, swiffer pads, magazines, coupons) Next time you get something you don't understand, take the time to learn about it and opt out.

I have a netspend card. I got it specifically to make online purchases. I beleive this protects my bank account. I have not had a problem as I understood the fees when I got it. The only problem I have now is that they are no longer accessible. Not everyone has good credit. This was help to people like those and people like me who dont want to use their real credit and debit cards online.

Seriously, who gives a crap that your husband got a card in the mail he didn't sign up for? Welcome to America dork. Even worse were your feelings of shock and disgust. Were you born the the 30's? You sound like some crabby elderly woman with nothing better to do with her life than complain about junk mail. Once you realize that being a housewife is no longer an occupation and quit freeloading off your husband, maybe you'll have something in your pointless life to write about.

Do not publish anymore articles, we don't want more people like you to be encouraged to take up writing crap about junk mail.

Everyone needs to stop worrying that these cards are already tied to your personal information. When something like this is mailed out they are blanks. Yes they have the number, exp date, and name on them already however they are not activated until you call in to activate and setup the account. When you call in to activate one of these cards you have to give them the standard info for a prepaid incl dob, ssn, etc. At that point the information is entered into an account with one of the two banks that netspend uses and the card number is then linked to the account and activated. I've been using a netspend prepaid card for the past 3 years with no problems other than a hold from a hotel not being released one time without calling in. It's much cheaper than my old account with PNC Bank had been. Since I never wrote a check and have always used a debit card for purchases or bills. This costs me $9.99 a mo or you can pay annually for $69. With netspend there are no overdraft fees because you can go no more than $6 over what you have available and the next deposit goes to cover that amount. With my old bank if I went over by even $0.50 then I got hit with a $35 charge. I realize that everyone is worried about these cards already being tied to their information however this is not the case until you call in and actually setup. It's time for everyone to start reading the fine print on the short term loan or prepaid card information sites before you go through the process. If you don't want to receive things like this then you shouldn't be going to the sites that service multiple providers and go directly to the providers site instead, such as netspend.com.

Well how about that! I was checking my account balance with netspend today after have posted a day or two ago about how I use it to protect my bank account while making online purchases. I think maybe the original poster of this thread should know that you can refer a friend. Is it possible that all the posts in this thread could have been sparked by one of your friends referring you to netspend without informing you? roflmfao...................

Those of you that are complaining (ironically) about the people complaining about the netspend card are missing the point.

It's not about how the card works, whether or not you have to pay to load it, use it, store it, or cut lines of coke with it. It has nothing to do with the fact that it isn't activated when it arrives. To be certain, this type of card fills some niche requirements.

The point is this: By participating in a ruse in which the issuer says the person REQUESTED the account, the recipient of the unsolicited card is left wondering who actually requested the card. There are two possibilities: 1.) someone trying to steal their identity did it, or 2.) the company is being deceitful. Neither scenario is very appealing, but many people would assume it must be the former, thinking that companies would exhibit *some* degree of ethical behavior and not engage in the type of deceit that would make someone worry about having their identity stolen.

I just received one of these cards today, although it was from accountnow, and I was bewildered. I don't live paycheck to paycheck, and I manage my credit exceptionally well so I have no need for a pre-paid debit card. The thought occurred to me that it was just an unsolicited mailing, but it would have made more sense for them to send it out and say "Hey - we thought you might like this pre-paid debit card. Activate it if you want it, otherwise don't worry about it." rather than tell me that I requested it, when of course I did not. When I called someone to ask about how the account was requested, they wouldn't provide any information unless I provided my date of birth, social, etc. - as if they had this information already on file for comparison. And they said someone *did* request this account. Since I wouldn't provide it to them, I have no way of knowing if someone actually did. I suspect not after reading this blog and all the comments. It's a pretty sleazy business, IMHO.

Wow...I stumbled upon this thread while trying to figure out what this netSpend card was and for the past three hours I have been caught up in a virtual boxing match. I thought *****heads were paranoid, but apparently the government has infiltrated the sober population as well.

You people must have ID10T errors running through your think skulls. Stop watching the news, stop listening to the radio, dont register for anything and don't give anyone your name. Cut up your IDs and your credit cards, and oh yeah, they're monitoring your cellphone.
After you do the above, go outside and get some fresh air. The world is not as bad as your gullable little minds have started to believe. The NetSpend company has sent you the equivalent of 2oz of plastic. The card has no value until money is loaded on it. It has no information about you other than your name and address, and... OMG!! you better tell your utility companies to stop mailing you bills every month because... THEY ALSO HAVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS!! I am so going to file and FTC complaint about these utility companies. How DARE they send me a piece of paper that has so much personal information on it through a barbaric medium such as the postal service?!
Get over it people. It's called marketing. You put YOUR name somewhere and registered for something. Your information got sold as a "sales lead" to the netspend company. They then printed a card with your name on it and mailed it to you with a letter that basically says "hey if you dont want to use a card thats tied to your actual bank account that could land you in the poor house if someone got ahold of the number, put some money on our card and use it. we charge a small fee so we can stay in business, but your identity...and bank accounts...will be safe." Thank God that the FTC/FRC are not as densely thick headed and stupid as you and the people who surround you that didnt stop you from acting a fool.

After being with the same bank for years and having my money put in someone else's account a few times and my bank trying to charge me over drafts I tried a netspend card its great I have direct deposit on it. email is sent to me when money is applied. It's great and I don't have to have extra fees from my bank. I still have my bank account but have saved alot of money with this card I love it.

After being with the same bank for years and having my money put in someone else's account a few times and my bank trying to charge me over drafts I tried a netspend card its great I have direct deposit on it. email is sent to me when money is applied. It's great and I don't have to have extra fees from my bank. I still have my bank account but have saved alot of money with this card I love it.

Mostly because I use direct deposit and the internet to check my balance so I don't get charged any fees if I use these methods I have used the card for more than 8 years now. But I do find it strange that netspend would send you cards with out filling out the proper paper work. I originally used the prepaid cards to shop on the internet just in case of identity theft, I put only the amount of money I needed to buy something and used the entire card balance the same day so if any shmuck has the card number he or she won't get anything from it.

Out of the blue I received a text from 226-22 stating that I have an available balance in my netspend account... Funny thing is I don't have a Netspend account and now I received another text stating that the account is being used for a purchase. I can only hope someone used my phone number as a fake for themselves.
This number is new for me so I don't know. I do know I don't want or would never need a prepaid card, so I hope this crap stops.

Or maybe it is a ploy to get me to call to find out why I am receiving the texts hoping to pull some info out of me.
I will not answer.
Best regards to all and Happy holidays!

This was simply a matter of someone entering the wrong number for text alerts. You can simply reply stop. Its no ploy it was the error of the card holder or a number the card holder had and never changed on their net spend account.

connie #35

i have had net spend for about 5 years now and they have saved me in may situations. Its a great service and i am sure what has happened to you was not with the intentions to steal money or violate. I deposit money on my account or you can have it direct deposited if your job offers it. also from the website you can send money orders manage your bills and send money to other card holders you can have multiple accounts no overdraft or low balance fees. I have two accounts and when ever my daughter needs some money i just transfer it to her card and i can keep track of her spending and her allowance. I dont have good credit so withou this card i would not be able to make CC purchases or reserve hotel rooms or anything that requires a card. BUt now i can Its great i Recomend it to the avarage guy who just needs to carry on like the other with good credit.

I have used Net Spend for about 4 yrs now. I was so tired of my other credit cards. As I get closer and closer to retirement (9 yrs and counting) I find it a great way to live within my means. After a messy divorce 11 yrs ago I was lucky enough to live in a state where no matter who the debt was from (husband or wife) I got it. It took me 3 yrs before I had all of it paid off including the IRS for our last yr of marriage (I paid my part but she didn't). I have my pay check directly deposited, signed up for on line bill pay and they do the rest. When there is no money left I am done spending. It also makes me think about what I really need vs what I want. I have like other people have said recieved others such as pay pals etc but I will never be without my Net Spend card. Also more importantly I will never be in debt since it is just like cash.

I have been using Netspend for about a year. Blah blah I'm a single mom with horrible credit. Owe banks and other creditors etc... For me it works. I am a premier user so I pay 5.00 a month and that eliminates the 1.00 per swipe transaction and have my pay direct deposited (never been a problem). Yes, if you do not read the print you can easily lose money in fees. But I pay bills from my Netspend account, keep a small savings, and I no longer have to keep my money in a shoebox. Banks charge sometimes 35.00 on overdrafts, TD bank has effin cycle service charges, and some make you keep a minimum. And the poster who mentioned the "REFERRAL" is 100% on the money. I referred friends and family and they too received cards in the mail. That was an older option as Netspend now notifies the referred party via email.

People can and will be SCAMMED routinely and by almost everyone. How you can avoid that is to smarten up. Ask questions. What they are doing in NOT illegal. They are a branch of Meta Bank which has the largest ATM distribution in the US. Just about every ATM is owned and operated by Meta Bank. I like Netspend (not as much as I would like to bank for free) but to my knowledge there is no such thing?

Hi, I got a Net spend card in the mail and i was wondering if i use my Net spend card to verify my PayPal and send for a PayPal card and just use my PayPal will i still have to pay the monthly fee.

Guest #39

Hi, I got a Net spend card in the mail and i was wondering if i use my Net spend card to verify my PayPal and send for a PayPal card and just use my PayPal will i still have to pay the monthly fee.

Loyal to Netspend #40

I have been a Netspend customer for about seven years. I was a victim of identity theft before that and had a terrible time when someone used my "real" credit cards. Now, I have every cent of my paycheck direct deposited. I pay all my bills online, by mail, by phone, in person, whatever. I get cashback at stores that offer it when I need it, and if I need larger amounts, I stop at any local bank, no matter where I am, and withdraw the money at no charge to me or my card. I use the card for hundreds of transaction a month, including dozens of purchases for goods at local stores, online, by phone, and mail. The fee for this is $9.95 a month. That's a fair price to know that no one can charge up 10 or 15 thousand dollars on a card and I would have to do the endless paperwork and calls to fix it. Been there- not again. I have had unautorized charges a few times, maybe three or four. One was for $483.00 from an obscure company in Germany. Netspend re-imbursed me immediately, and after trying for seven months, wrote me a letter that they had finally gotten the money back from the German company. But they had fixed the problem for me, on my end, months before they were even sure it was a bogus transaction. They also have an insurance plan that pays you the amount of your last months deposit to the card (in my case, all my earnings) for 12 months if you are disabled or in case of death (it will go to your beneficiary). That's a year of my net income. And the cost for it is NOTHING.

This company has gone above and beyond for me. I'm very loyal to them I get several offers every month for cards, insurance, magazines, and other services. If I'm not interested, I toss them in the trash. But not all of them are scams just because they send something in the mail. I routinely get offers from AAA, AARP, Sears, and others. All good companies.

Seriously, people need to stop automatically assuming that everything is a scam. Not only is your ignorance damaging to the company's reputation, but you also instill false information into the consumers who actually do need a service like this. From reading through the many comments, I can tell that most of you don't like to read your contracts when you sign up for services. You know, the little thing called "Terms and Conditions." Companies provide that for a reason and it's filled with information that you need to know!! You don't even need to call to figure out what the company name is because it's right there on the "Terms and Conditions!" And yes, there are fees and they are all listed on that paper. The only account maintenance fee that I see is for $5.95 a month if you HAVE NOT made any transactions within 90 days of your last transaction. That fee is no different than a bank's FREE checking account maintenance fee.

If you've just stumbled upon this site, please educate yourself by reading the contract and don't pay so much attention to ignorant rants.

Before I obtained an account with Netspend, I used my account at Bank Of America for everything "checking related" (bills, food, gas, etc). Then Bank of America started to do some really shady **** with my account. They would hold my direct deposit for a couple of days and let my automatic bill payment drafts post to my account. Then would post my direct deposit after that and hit me with tons of fees and overdrafts, because they know the customers that live paycheck to paycheck have a very tight budget, so if one thing gets over-drafted, then everything after that will also become part of that negative fees cycle, and fall like dominoes. It becomes really hard to get back on track after that. I remember one month my direct deposit paycheck was $600; and they ended up taking $350 in fees and overdrafts. I would complain to customer service, and they were unwilling to correct the situation. I got so frustrated with them, so I closed my account. That's when I stumbled upon Netspend. I only have to pay $9.95 per month, and that's it. And the best part about it is that they NEVER charge overdraft fees of any kind. I've been with them for about 5 years now; and I couldn't be more happy with their service. It's a win win situation with them because I get my free visa debit card, free direct deposit, free atm use, and they even send me a text message immediately after ever purchase and deposit. When I'm buying something with my debit at a store, I get a text message with all the transaction info before I even get to my car. So in my eyes, this company can do no wrong. I'd recommend them to anyone that's tired of the greedy banks taking advantage of them.

OK, there are some good posts here and there are some pretty idiotic posts. I have 1 question though for the author of what started this; what the heck were you doing opening your husbands mail in the first place!? Seems to me you just incriminated yourself to a felony charge should you and your 'husband' split up and he is smart and decides to pursue the issue.

Now as for NetSpend. I have had a card from them since 2005. In the long run, it is better, cheaper, and more convienent than any bank issued card I am aware of. My wife has direct deposit using a traditional checking account with a local bank and a debit card is included. For her to use the card, it does not cost her anything, monthly or otherwise. HOWEVER, she has had issues having her paycheck deposited on time and because of that she has incurred overdrawn charges needlessly. Just 2 or 3 of these charges more than pays every fee from NetSpend. For years I paid the $10/mo fee, but cutting costs everywhere possible, I switched to the $70/year fee and BAM! an additional $50/year savings! My wife cannot rent a car or reserve hotel rooms with her debit card. But I can with Netspend because debit or credit, it works either way with zero fees. Beat that if you can.

I keep track of my account online. You learn real fast not to call for balance amounts. That is when you begin being nickel and dimed to death. There are no transaction fees. EVER. I check my account 4,5,6,maybe 7 times a day and it never costs me a cent. If you have a cell phone, (another needless expense I eliminated) you can get text messages FREE for every transaction made, whether it be a purchase or a deposit.

Speaking of deposits, I have my paycheck and my government assistance checks direct deposited and never an issue. In fact, not only do I NOT have any issues, I have nothing but praise. We get paid on Fridays (every 2 weeks) at my job, but I am the envy of all my co-workers because my pay is posted to my NetSpend account on Wednesday! REALLY has kept me out of a jam more than once.

Speaking of my account, it is not wise for me to have a traditional savings account due to some personal reasons, though I could have one if I wanted one. NetSpend offers a savings account that will directly deposit an amount determined by you into the savings account. This means you never see that money on your card, so it helps you save. What is really sweet is you can transfer money between the card and the savings a few times a month. They limit the amount of times which helps YOU become more responsible and take responsibility for your own finances. And the best part is this; The interest rate is almost 5% AYP!!! Now, I just saw on the evening national news that a major bank (Citi Bank or BoA, I can't remember which) has a savings interest of only .005%, and no, the decimal point is in the correct place. And while the interest rates can and do fluctuate, the lowest I have ever seen is 2%, still far better than the major banks.

OK, now we are at the direct bill payment. NetSpend charges $1 for each transaction they have to pay for you. Simple to eliminate this fee. PAY YOUR OWN DAMN BILLS YOURSELF! No fees and can readily be accomplished 99% of the time over the internet. Hell, I even pay my internet bill over the internet using my NetSpend card, and I get immediate email confirmations from BOTH NetSpend AND the recipient!

Overdraft fees are non existant simply because it is virtually impoosible for you to spend more than you have. Though I have found that NetSpend is very decent and will cover 5,6,or 7 bucks over for you ONLY if it is on an existing purchase. And they carry that balance at no charge. Pretty decent thing to do. My wifes bank won't do that for her.

Just found out about the money order thing from reading all these posts. Something I need to look into as it could save me time, fuel and fees (depending on what NetSpend charges, if anything, of course) for those times I need to pay using a check or money order. Case being, I just paid some out of state fees to a lawyer and DMV and it took longer than really needed to because I had to mail a money order, since those places do not accept credit or debit cards of any type.

Reload fees, now I am not sure this is everywhere, is the one thing that can be somewhat difficult to overcome. To put cash on the card balance, costs me $2, regardless of the amount I am depositing. Since I hate spending money needlessly, not to mention the time, fuel wear & tear on the car, etc..., the only surefire way I have found is to have your money direct deposited, which is 100% FREE. But in a pinch, if I need to pay something NOW over the internet, and I have the cash but not an available card balance, I can load the cash on the card easily enough. Hasn't happened but a couple of times, but to have it happen only once and not having that option would be bad.

Disputing a charge or a 'hold' couldn't be easier. I have had several and EVERY LAST ONE has been handled quickly and to my satisfaction. My disputes have NEVER been denied. PayPall can't even claim that, even with their own admission that they were in the wrong. I don't do business with PayPal any longer due to this fact AND the fact that their fees and charges are just too exorbitant.

Thanks to my NetSpend card, I have saved time & money, hand over fist thanks to my having a NetSpend card. There is another big pre-paid card that costs much more in the long run than NetSpend. So for the best experience, NetSpend is what I recommend.

To everyone here moaning and groaning that they are just appalled to the point of shear disgust and physical sickness, chill out, take a deep breath, count to ten, and then use the common sense God gave us all (though most seem to want to ignore this gift) and just cut the card in half and throw it away. Kind of simple, but it is effective. Let me say something, I really wish that my biggest concern was being solicited through the US mail to the point to post on a blog just how disgusted I am and that I don't need this valuable service in my lifetime, unlike the others who are out there that actually do need this service just so we can live in the same world as you.

Happy New Year to all, let this new decade be so much better for us all than the first.

I was informed about receiving a debit card from netspend before they sent it to me. I applied for a loan & I am slowly rebuilding my credit and the card has been great. I have an accout with a local credit union and the fees are going through the roof. Netspend is much easier. THIS IS NOT A CREDIT CARD. It is a debit card. If you do not load any money on it, then it can not be used. As far as a credit card being used as a second form of id, I have never heard of such a thing. I have been around a long time & no business has ever considered a credit card a form of id. I have never been charged any fee to speak with customer service either.

I have used netspend in the past for direct deposit and i have also had my tax refund loaded onto the card and I have never had one single problem with them. Netspend is a Debit card it is not a credit card so all you people whining and complaining about receiving these cards just need to shut the hell up and stop being so damn paranoid nobody is trying to steal your identity if you have no need for the card then throw it in the trash and get on with your life.

I have had wonderful experiences with this card. I have been a customer since 2006 and enjoy great perks such as getting paid up to 5 days before anyone else in my office receives their pay. I receive constant text messages with a running balance and I never ever pay overdraft fees. When they send your card they only used your name not your SSN. If you were to have activated the card they would have verified all that information. So you identity was not compromised.

Netspend has come in to help those of us who have had bad experiences with financial institutions and wanted something simple and easy.

I can understand your frustration at receiving a card you didn't ask for, they do have a referral service were friends and family can refer others. Your SSN is never asked for during the referral, just the name and address.

Too funny - "Netspend has come in to help those of us who have had bad experiences with financial institutions and wanted something simple and easy." Wuh?

I thought Netspend was a financial institution, no? Allowing us to spend our own money by their rules and fees does not strike me as a charitable organization, I'm confused.

I feel jipped and want to know about these purported wonderful experiences.

Wouldn't great perks be like, dental coverage, company car, so on? Getting paid up to 5 days before co-workers would happen with any direct deposit. NS is a for-profit corp out to get as much of your money as you will allow it - not some angelic money helper sent from beyond, people.

Speaking of which... Walmart has a Visa MoneyCard (pre-paid debit) that charges $3 to open, $3 to load, and $3 monthly maint fee. Nothing for transactions.

Guesti #52

Too funny - "Netspend has come in to help those of us who have had bad experiences with financial institutions and wanted something simple and easy." Wuh?

I thought Netspend was a financial institution, no? Allowing us to spend our own money by their rules and fees does not strike me as a charitable organization, I'm confused.

I feel jipped and want to know about these purported wonderful experiences.

Wouldn't great perks be like, dental coverage, company car, so on? Getting paid up to 5 days before co-workers would happen with any direct deposit. NS is a for-profit corp out to get as much of your money as you will allow it - not some angelic money helper sent from beyond, people.

Speaking of which... Walmart has a Visa MoneyCard (pre-paid debit) that charges $3 to open, $3 to load, and $3 monthly maint fee. Nothing for transactions.

hello in my opinion some crazy things that you dont understand can be the best...i got a card in the mail a year or so ago and decided to research it. (from netspend) afterall, i was tired of banks and all their stupid fees and excuses to take your money. i would get paid and 2 or 3 days later id have stupid fees being billed to me not to mention with bank of america, i had my card stolen and they are not very good at idenity theft protection or the fact that i paid for overdraft protection and didnt get it. with my husband in the military and being awaey we werent able to balance our cards often because he was overseas with little communicaition so overdraft would have helped if it worked right. finally i researched and discovered it was completley fine. i have had it every since. they dont slap 30 fees on like other banks, there is no way to go negative. when i buy something an alert is sent to mine and my husbands cells letting us know our new balance it is great. where in other banks if you buy something it may take 3 or 4 days to come out and leave you confused on your balance, with netspend it is instant. not to mention they offer iadvance whitch is a line of credit that is completley online and if you need 20 or 40 dollars before payday they will send it right to your account.i pay like 5 dollars interest when i do this but for unexpected expenses it is very nice. in the past year i have showed over 10 ppl how to switch, all love it and nomore feel the need to bounce around with banks nemore. as an added bonus my sister is stationed in germany and i used to have to pay large fees to send her money and now she uses netspend also so it is completely free and takes like 2 minutes when i send her money online from my card to hers. and we get paid about 5 days before our payday, even income taxes. they dont hold your money, right when it shows up, it is released...

Hello, I have been a customer of Netspend for almost 2 years now. I am quite satisfied with there service and have told many friends about it. I have never heard of them sending out a card to the people who we recomend as customers... thats a new one on me... As far as these fees goes they give you $5 to just activate your account... then $5 for each referal that activates theirs.... not to mention $5 if you earn 500 points in a month which is easy to do. The fees for checking your phone is 50 cents... although i personallty think its stupid you can check it free online along with loads of other things... like text alearts for transactions... or check a transaction... view history... etc... all free... you can either choses to be charged fees everytime you use it our do the 9.99 a month deal with no transaction fees... I have my SSI and disability comming to my card... and recieve them 5 days ahead of time... Netspend is not all bad...

I personely love net spend i get my pay checks a day before everyone else the fees are small at best I can use it every where so dont give the company such a bad rep they probably got your name from someone else you already shredded it so stop crying about are you going to cry every time you get a peice of junk mail!

I have been using the netspend "PRE-PAID" credit card since 2002. This is the first I have ever heard anyone complaining about a "PRE-PAID credit card. If you get one and you didn't order it, just throw it away, burn it, or even shred it. Like netspend said, its not activated until you put money on it. I run a business, all my employees have either a bank account that I put their checks into or one of these "PRE-PAID" credit cards by netspend. For 8 yrs now, not one of my employees complain about the card. They say its better to use this card in stead of credit card by a bank, you won't have any over draft fees, and no monthly or annually fees. The card can used either as a credit card or a debit card. Gotta go now, just a reminder that netspend is a "PRE-PAID" credit/debit card.
Thank you for reading this,
Poll Keays Ranch, LLC

I received one of these cards today and was wondering why so I went to google and typed it in and get this site I am happy to know I am not alone I will not be activating this card it will most definitely be going into the shredder. I didn't sign up to receive this card so I really think they should not just send them to anyone I most definitely did not like that one bit. Thank you for sharing your experience with the rest of us.

I recieved a Netspend card today in the mail. And just like you I never applied for it. I was very confused why I recieved this card. After some research online I found complaints about netspend taking more money than what the purchase amount was and when the customer called to complain even more money was withdrawn by Netspend. I will be cutting up this card and throwing it away. Thank you for putting your experience online so that others will know to lookout for these scam artists.

I am not a netspend user but i have a pre paid card and i personally love it. this is regarding people who say netspend or anything is a SCAM, unless you've been personally scammed by them then yes say whatever you please but people who just recieve these cards in the mail.. SO THE **** WHAT!! nothing will happen unless you activate it or whatever & it has nothing to do with idenity theft or credit issues.
As for the people with children getting them in their names, one of these post are correct, When your children play games or whatever on the internet theres ads or some bullshit that will make them sign up for something.
You guy should be smart and not bash a company who has never done anything to you.

Whats the big deal? So they sent a card free. I'd consider myself lucky. Netspend offers the most innocuos electronic monetary service of them all. Plus Its prettynaive of you to think in this modern age you have any type of privacy protection. At least you've got a heads up now thanks to netspend

I received netSpend VISA debit card that never was ordered--never even heard of 'netSpend'; the card bears a first name of whom I never knew with my legal last name; an individual with the name bears on this card used this name to order "Voice Mail" box from my telephone company and I was charged for it.
Has this happened to any of you? It took me 5 solid months to get my charges reversed!

I haven't filled out any type of applications for anything in over 2 years. There would be no one that could have referred my information to this company. I'm not worried about them being able to steal any money, I would be more worried about them using it for check scams. Where the person would take stolen checks and deposit it into your netspend account only to pull it right back out. This is a federal crime and you could get up to 25 years in prison in most states. I hate to see some of y'all on the news for something you didn't do. The first person the FBI and State Police would contact is the account holder. The last thing you want is the FED's watching your every move. EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF YOU NEED TO BE MORE AWARE ABOUT WHAT SCAMS PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO DO. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON IT'S NOT AS EASY TO FILE CLAIMS AT YOUR BANKS FOR FRAUDULENT CHARGES ANYMORE. THEY WANT TO DO FULL INVESTIGATIONS OR THEY WANT YOU TO SIMPLY CALL THE MERCHANT. I use to be able to just call up the bank and I had the money back in my account that same day. Everyone is so worried about them stealing money they can't even get from you, but you don't even think about what crimes you could potentially be linked to just from this card being in someone else's procession.

SHRED THE PIECE OF GARBAGE ASAP!!! FORGET YOU EVEN RECIEVED IT!!!! DONT BE FOOLED!!!! SOMEBODY IS MAKIN A TON OF MONEY OFF OF YOUR HARD EARNED CASH!!!!!! SCAM SCAM SCAM SOMEWHERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE IT WILL BE GONE JUST LIKE THE BANK YOU SEND IT TO!!!!!

i have a netspend visa and master card and three bank accts my regular accounts have been compromised numerous times my netspend cards eleven years not one issue all the bad comments about netspend are from people who have not taken the time to READ you can only use money you put on it hence the name PREPAID so really what is all the fuss about

I'm not sure I would have had the same reaction. I probably would have just thrown it away. Because it's a prepaid card, send a card in the mail that has not been activated is probably a sound marketing strategy. But the letter should have made clear that the account was not open and you could open one if you wanted to. That said, there are some really good prepaid cards and some really bad ones. The good ones deal fairly and honestly with consumers, and charge very low rates (Mango MasterCard is a good example of a low fee card). You just have to find the card that meets your financial needs.

who cares if they send you a card. it doesn't hurt you unless you activate it. If you had the brains to read, in the letter it says "this card has no worth or value until activating it at a cash register or by phone". next time read. you must be Japanese or Asian to have a name like that. What no one taught u how to read while you lived in your cardboard box? I hate people who post nonsense topics that are already in front of their faces.

People are well numbskulls, I'm on disability and Netspend has treated me good for 3 years... Whoever wrote this post has a corn cob stuck in the wrong place, all ya gotta do is read between the lines LOL! I have lost my card and have been able to get ahold of an operator just about EVERY time I call them, the service is cool cause I get my check about a week early soooo. :P PS THERE IS NO HARM IN THE COMPANY SEND YOU A CARD THATS WORTH THE PLASTIC ITS PRINTED ON AND NOTHING MORE TILL -YOU- DO SOMETHING. EEEedeeeuts. PS PEOPLE LIKE THIS ARE THE REASON THIS COUNTRY IS GOING TO BURN.

Ah relax...it was not an active card. You have to go online and activate it, which then ties the card (just a random generic card with a number) to the account info you set up.

Steering people from this card is missing out on a service it is best suited for...transferring money. I ahve two children in the armed forces, and the NetSpend card has been a lifesaver for us. When my son and his wife had a financial emergency just before he deployed, this card allowed us to get money to him immediately, and without large fees. It is truly a nice card to have for emergencies.

Again...your husband landing on someones mailing list may be troubling...but all Netspend was doing was marketting...not sending live and activated cards to you. And before you understand the whole purpose of the card...keep from bad mouthing it.

BTW...I have no ties to netpsend other than I know lots of military and college student parents find it helpful to have in order to help their children.

Identity theft on a preloaded visa card? Do you file complaints on any other junkmail? Say the coupons? If this card came with $5 no one would be complaining. I have had this card for years and must admit you have to learn how to use it in order not to be a sucker. My direct deposit is always there a day early. Never had any problems with cust service nor my money. Im starting to question the common sence of these people.

i have a netspend card and ive been using it for a year now. besides the fees for checking your balance OVER THE PHONE, which is only 50 CENTS! there really is no problem with the card. i have my check deposited bi-weekly from my job which they do not charge you for. plus i get my check a few days earlier. and one thing i found that was convenient is that if i am a little short of money on my card they will let you be negative up to $10 when u use ur card. of course they take it out the next time you have money but its VERY CONVENIENT!

another thing, they send those out for advertisement!! how are u suppose to advertise your product if u dont send it out! netspend is the best and only prepaid debit card service that i actually like and if you disagree go to their site and see for yourself! its COMPLETELY LEGIT. one of the awesome things about it is no overdraft fees too!

i have a netspend card and i love it i have no hassels no over draft fees & i can shop and pay bills and it clears imediately. i think this lady is over playing on this experience if u dont want it cut it up and trash it. yes u can have an opinion but was all this really necessary? and technically it isnt fraudulent they can get ur info from just about anywhere. like where u shop, clothing stores walmart kmart cvs and even from a hospital or doc office. i actually had a credit card sent to me when i called and asked how they got it and then had a lawyer involved they told us it was solicited by a doctors office through the payment center they used. ok so maybe u didnt apply for it but we all put our info out there without really allowing it. but what can u do. now days u cant use cash for everything there are places that wont take cash and u cant send cash in as payments by mail so keep things simple cut it up if u dont want it! every card has to be activated in order for it to create an account

If someone who is under the age of 18 tries to activate the card it will not go through. I have a NetSpend card for my now 17 year old which I opened for her when she was 16 so that she wouldn't have to "ask mom" for money all the time. Each month I put a set amount on her card and she has the freedom to drive around town and buy the things she wants to but has to keep in mind her budget. When I opened this account for her; I still had to prove that she was my daughter with providing NetSpend with her information. Even if she had tried to open it on her own she wouldn't have been able to because I had to provide documentation that she was my child and that I approved her having this account. I actually love the instant message notifications I get on my phone when she uses her card. I've had her return items before she left the parking lot because I didn't agree with her purchase.

By comparision; I received a "pre-approved" credit card application in the mail for at the time my daughter was 12 years old. I spent 20 minutes waiting on hold to talk to the credit card company that had sent it (a company that I wasn't even a member of nor had ever been a member of) and they kept asking me for my account information. I kept telling them that I had never had an account with them and quite frankly never will if they send random "pre-approved" notifications to 12 year olds. I told them to remove my daughters name from their target list but 3 months later we received another "pre-approved" notice. That one I just shredded.

At least NetSpend isn't offering "pre-approved" credit to people and then charging huge interest rates!

Netspend rocks, folks. These guys have the best savings interest rate in the banking system. I don't use mine much, so I just stash cash in it and get five percent. I purchase online with it only, stash most of the money in savings, put the rest on the active card account...no problem. It's fdic insured. And at a buck a transaction, it's dirt cheap. Safe from thieves on the net, too, because they can only get at the active account, not the savings acct money. Anyone with a debit liinked to a bank account or a credit card faces much greater risk. You'd be an idiot NOT to use this company. I've been with them for 10 years. later, losers.

I Just Recieved A Netspend Debit Card With My Name Already On It.. I Felt It Through The Envelope And Figured It Was The Credit Card I Had Applied For And Been Waiting For. But When I Opened It There Was No Bank Name Or Logo And All It Said Was Visa Debit... I Have Never Heard Of Or Interacted With Any Such Company As Netspend So To Find A Debit Card With My Name Embossed To It Was Quite A Surprise [Not One Of Those Fake Cards With Your Name Printed That Visa Sends With Applications, A Real Card With My Name Embossed] So I Decided To Google This Company And See What This Is All About... I Have No Clue How They Got My Name, Address Or Any Information On Me What So Ever. Especially Since Im Assuming The Mass Of The Customers Who Recieve These Cards Have Probably Dabbled In The Credit World. I'm Only 18 And Have No Credit, Just A Checking Account. So I Have No Clue How It Is That This Company Got Ahold Of My Information But Im Kind Of Upset About This...

I have recived one and i already activated but the thing is that once i but money in they start taking out a dollar at a time. one day i dicaided to lod up the card to make a payment for my school i payd 4.95 to lod it up and so i did i put excacly $75 in it when it was time to pay my school that same day the agent told me that i only had $60 in it .I trayd to talk to them by phone but the only thing that i get is the answering servic not a real repesenetive so since then i have not used it . If read carfuly on the letter they send to you it doesn't tell you how much they charge you per day or even per hr ithink that they shold be more truthful with the people about what the are going to charge them.

I have had a net spend card for over three years. I have had no problems thus far. I like the fact that my paycheck is direct deposited 1-2 days BEFORE my official payday.
I, in fact have a bank account, but chose my direct deposit to go the net spend because I get it early.
It is true, however, that if you need to speak to customer service, it's pretty much non- existent. Language is a problem as well.

my wife and i received this mass promotion in the mail as well --i dont feel violated at all --they obviously check credit **** and people who may need this type of account which did make me feel a bit strange that our info could be seen somewhere ---but we had just gotten rooked hard by a bank called COMPASS BANK here in Florida --they took us and still are wanting more ---they are thieves !!!! but there was netspend to catch our butts basically ---we have been with them a little while now and we are extremely satisfied with them ---you can check every single transaction down to the penny online and balance inquiry is free --plus they have a sub company in the company called iadvance that fronted us 200 dollars till my next payday without any extra fees ---5 stars from us !!!

They just started sending me texts like $113.07 available in your account after $100.00 load on Apr 19th at 5.34pm; then one $12.07 available after $101.00 purchase at ACCESS INSUR CALIFORNIAATLANTAGAUS on Apr 19 at 6.28PM with your card ending in 0711
I don't have an account ending in those digits so I thought it was really weird. I texted back "what is this?" and it replied "Anytime Alerts: for balance, transaction info zipcode relocation etc and it said customer service is 1-86-NETSPEND. so I stopped the texts but also looked up the company and found this article. Something fishy with this company I don't know how they got my cell to send me texts to!

I bought a Netspend Visa yesterday at my local convenience store. I needed to make a payment on my car. I usually have it taken out of my bank but I was late on a payment and needed to pay it quick. I have done this one other time with another company and as soon as the store scanned it, it was loaded and ready to go. Not the case with this awful product. The first time they (the credit company) ran it through, it didn't work. I then spent 20 minutes of hell trying to get it set up over the phone. They make you go through so many unwanted items they offer and you can't just skip them. I finally set my pin number and then had my credit company run it again. Didn't work. Now, they tell me they can't accept this card from me and I need to get a money order. Great. Now my money is tied up in this card and I can't get it to work. Now, I want to just talk to a human being. I call the number and have to go through 20 more minutes of the same questions and set up all over again until finally I get someone. I tell her I just want this card activated so I can get my money. I don't want anything sent to me later. She said she was sorry and it was all set. Now, onto the fees. You have to pick one of three plans before you can even get access to your money. Remember, this is money you have to put on this card. You have had it to begin with. They have so many fees to chip away at your money. It is $1 just to buy something. It is $2 to use it at a Atm and the bank itself charges you. This company is GARBAGE!!

iI WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU GOT MT VISA # AND TO BEAT IT ALL, CONTINUE TO DRAFT 58.00 OUT OF MY ACCOUNT? I HAVE NOT APPLIED NOR GIVEN PERMISSION FOR ANYONE TO DRAFT ANYTHING OUT OF MY ACCOUNT!!! SO AT THIS PRESENT TIME 5-18, 2010, YOU OWE ME THE FULL SUM OF $271.00 IN CASH!! I PREFERE A CERTIFIED CHECK WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS CST! IF I CALL MY BANK TOMORROW AND MY MONEY HAS NOT BEEN RETURNED, I WILL START COURT/SUING PROCEEDINGS!! SOMEONE STOLE MY CARD #, I HAVE FILED A POLICE REPORT AND I HAVE NOTIFIED MY BANK OF THIS ISSUE. I PUT A BLOCK ON YOU BUT YOU STILL SEEM TO GET MY CARD # "I NEVER GIVE OUT MY VISA CARD # ONLINE! THAT WOULD BE A VERY "STUPID THING TO DO" I MAYY BE IGNORANT ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, NEVER "STUPID" !!! YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!!!